Capital Report: 10-06-2017

Nearly a month after Hurricane Irma washed eight-to-ten feet of storm surge onto Everglades City in Southern Collier County, residents with damaged, unlivable homes are still waiting on emergency temporary housing. City officials estimate about a hundred homes in the area are uninhabitable due to flood damage and mold. But officials say they expect relief within a week. From member station WGCU, Jessica Meszaros takes us to Everglades City.

For weeks, people living in the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico have been struggling with a lack of food, gasoline and electricity. Now the American mainland is expecting an influx of people from the devastated island. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in order to receive aid to help accommodate those people. From member station WGCU in Fort Myers, Quincy Walters spoke with a family who just arrived from Puerto Rico this week.

The relocation of Puerto Rican residents to Florida could cause a seismic political shift, at least in some parts of the Sunshine State. Kate Payne reports many may settle in Florida’s purple counties ahead of the 2018 elections.

The medical marijuana company Surterra is urging state health regulators to take steps to allow edible cannabis treatments. But Nick Evans reports the roll out for those rules could still be far off on the horizon.

As Florida continues to work to combat human trafficking, some experts say working to make sure everyone recognizes the signs is important. But, equally important is going after the so-called “johns” themselves. Sascha Cordner reports.

Transportation experts are pushing for a better plan in Florida for getting people with disabilities where they need to go. Regan McCarthy reports a newly created taskforce is taking on the issue.